


Moonlight

by coral_dragon



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Science Fiction, Alternate Universe - Spies & Secret Agents, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Free day, Hurt/Comfort, I don't really know what AU, Implied Sexual Content, Implied/Referenced Torture, Klance Week 2016, M/M, but it's back on earth, i seem to have a thing for Keith getting captured and tortured, klance, only for Lance to rescue him
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-18
Updated: 2016-08-18
Packaged: 2018-08-09 13:43:38
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7804096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/coral_dragon/pseuds/coral_dragon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Another groan before Keith spoke three words that pierced through Lance and made his blood run cold.<br/>“Who are you?”</p>
<p>It's been months since his boyfriend disappeared on a mission gone wrong, but a chance encounter during a routine sabotage sends Lance reeling.</p>
<p>[[Written for the free day of Klance Week 2k16 and based off an anon prompt]]</p>
            </blockquote>





	Moonlight

Lance would recognise Keith’s mullet anywhere.

By this point he would also recognise his smile, his silhouette, his eyes, his hands. Hell, Lance would probably recognise Keith’s feet if he had to. He would definitely recognise his arse, either in pants or without.

But today, it was Keith’s voice that Lance heard first. A voice that he would always pick up and instinctively know, no matter how long it had been since he had heard it last. And Lance did not like how in-pain that voice sounded right now.

Ignoring Pidge’s annoyed voice blasting through his earpiece that he was imagining things and  _ had a job to complete _ , he changed his route. He didn't care that they didn't believe him, he knew what he had heard. He cared even less about the intel and sabotage mission he had originally snuck into this military base for. It was a small matter that could be done anytime; a trick for being nuisances more than anything else.

“Pidge, just guide me. Find the room with someone being tortured. I know what I'm doing.” He muttered.

He flinched as a scream of frustration nearly deafened him, but Pidge gave in anyway.

“Fine! Give me two seconds.” A pause. “Okay, take your second left.”

Following the new directions, he reached the room quickly, barely even needing to avoid patrols. It seemed the majority of the personnel were kept away from this area of the base. Probably for good reason. The screams of pain ripped through Lance’s being and he saw red. He slipped into the torture room. Two clean shots of his silenced gun and two figures dropped to the floor.

The third person in the room was hard to miss. Bound to a surgeon’s table and now unconscious, his unruly black hair plastered to his face. Dried and fresh blood mixed in various places, and the puncture wounds of needles were obvious on his arms.

“Keith…”

Pidge’s voice was quiet this time.

“I'm so sorry Lance. For once I'm glad you ignored orders.”

“You know I wouldn't have without good reason.”

“Yeah, I know. Can you get him out safely? Shiro is freaking out behind me because we never prepared for this level of extraction.”

Lance pursed his lips and looked around. He wasn't totally confident on this one, but he was going to get Keith out no matter what.

A groan had Lance whirling towards said boy and running over to his side.

“Keith? Keith? It's okay. I'm here. I'll get you out.”

Keith blinked as his eyes finally focused on Lance, who grinned, ecstatic that he was seeing those gorgeous violet irises once again.

Another groan before Keith spoke three words that pierced through Lance and made his blood run cold.

“Who are you?”

The swearing in his ear and the following muffled argument that was clearly happening back at base was easily blocked out (Pidge seemed to be pissed off and Hunk was trying to take control of the comms). Lance was too busy to worry about it too much right now. He recovered quickly.

“I'm Lance. I'm an ally; a friend. I don't suppose you can walk?”

“Untie me and we'll find out.”

Lance smiled. His memory might be scrambled, but Keith would always be Keith.

It didn't take long for Lance to quickly brief Keith, free him, and prepare their escape. He could barely walk, but by leaning on Lance they may good enough time. The only hiccup occurred when they ran into patrolling guards. HQ and Lance both too distracted and stressed to monitor their movements properly. Lance was as accurate with his left hand as he was with his right, earning him a look of impressed approval from Keith, but dead bodies meant increased chance of discovery.

Still, they managed to make it out and into the small hover bike that was the getaway vehicle. It barely fit two people, but before long they were clear and speeding away towards a safe house.

 

\-------------------------------------

 

_ “Yo, sleepy head! Wake up! Rise and shine, Lance!” _

_ “Wha- what the fuck, Hunk? Why?” _

_ “Huh? What's going on?” _

_ “Oh my god! Holy shit! Keith? Shit, man! This is the best discovery of the century.” _

_ “Oh fuck, get out of my bedroom Hunk!” _

_ “What's going on?” _

_ “No! Not Pidge too!” _

_ “Lance and Keith, sitting in a tree! Doing way more than K-I-S-S-I-N-G.” _

_ “Holy fuck! You two? Are you serious?” _

_ “Lance, babe, they're filming this you realise.” _

_ “Fuck you, Hunk! Give me that!” _

_ “Haha! I'm clearly not who you want to be fucking. Ah! Pidge, help!” _

_ “Not a chance.” _

Bsssssht.

_ “Glad you could join us for breakfast, boys. And wearing clothing, no less.” _

_ “Shiro, why are you even filming this?” _

_ “Because it's cute. You're wearing the wrong top, by the way.” _

_ “...Lance, did you throw me your t-shirt instead of my own?” _

_ “Might have. Looks good on you, babe.” _

_ “Heh. Smells nice.” _

_ “Gross.” _

_ “Hm. You really like each other don't you?” _

_ “God, Shiro. I love him. I really do.” _

Bzzzt.

_ “I love him. I really do.” _

Bzzzt.

_ “I love him-” _

“Lance?”

Lance cut the video off, quickly tucking the phone away and turning to face the doorway that separated the lounge room from the bedroom. Keith was hovering there, looking unsure, hair wet from his shower and torso bare, revealing every cut, bruise and scar. Some were still bleeding.

“Jesus. Hold on, I'll grab the first aid kit and we’ll get you patched up.”

Keith looked like he was about to say something, but Lance turned away before he could. He was afraid that anything said now would further break his heart, and he couldn't afford that right now.

They were both silent as Keith sat on a footstool, giving Lance access to his wounds.

For once, it wasn't Lance who broke the silence.

“I- I heard the video.”

Keith felt Lance’s hands still briefly before resuming their task, but no response came.

“That was me speaking at the end, wasn't it?”

“...Yeah.”

“Lance I-”

“It's okay, Keith.” Lance cut him off. “You don't remember. I can't force you to go back to how it was before. It's not your fault. Please don't feel guilty…”

“How long was I gone?” Keith's voice was quiet, barely even a whisper, but Lance could hear it clearly in the dead quiet of the dodgy apartment that they hid in.

He took a deep breath.

“Nine months.”

Nine months of total hell, not knowing what had gone wrong, or whether his boyfriend was even alive. He hadn't even grieved because his mind had refused to accept the loss. Now he was back, and it hurt nearly as badly. Lance tried to tell himself that at least Keith was alive, at least he was rescued now. And right now, at least he was in his presence. That should have been enough. But it was killing him.

Lance stood suddenly, unable to stand it anymore.

“I'm going to have a shower.”

Lance tried to ignore Keith calling his name as he walked away. It wasn't  _ his  _ Keith. It wasn't the same. And he couldn't-

“Lance! Listen to me! Please!”

Fingers wrapped around his wrist, halting his progress and forcing him to turn around. His eyes locked with Keith’s and he could do nothing to hide the pain he was in. He was lost in those violet eyes, fire burning behind them in a way he knew so well.

Keith continued, voice desperate, bordering on angry.

“I'm sorry! God, Lance, I'm so so sorry. I know I don't remember much. They messed with my brain. But I think it's only temporary because things are starting to come back to me.”

Keith watched carefully as Lance’s eyes widened and his shoulders turned further so he faced him completely. Keith’s grip loosened, but he refused to let go.

“Not all. Not even full images. But I… I remember your smile. Fuck, Lance, I heard my voice say that I love you and I knew that I meant it and even if I don't remember much I remember that I love you. I trusted you the instant I saw you and even this feels familiar and  _ right _ .”

Lance had closed the gap between them, his free hand coming up to brush the tears that Keith hadn't even realised had started to fall. The hand Keith gripped twisted so that their fingers intertwined. Keith breathed out, relaxing into Lance’s touch.

“Please, Lance. Trust my judgement on this. The circumstances are blurry but I know enough. Don't shy away from me. I need you now more than ever. Help me remember. I trust all of you instinctively; you, Shiro, Hunk, Pidge. God. Help me… I know you can…”

A small smile twitched at the corners of Lance’s mouth. It was not even two years ago that he was known as someone who was quick to grin and laugh, making stupid jokes and cheering up everyone else. These days smiling was rare, and when he laughed, it was more often than not tinged with insanity. But this; this was his first genuine smile in many months.

“You remembered their names.”

“Yeah. It's still me, Lance. Under all this pain and confusion and bullshit. I'm still here. And I'm still yours.”

Lance caved. He bent forward to capture Keith’s lips with his own. He had tried so hard to resist before, not wanting Keith to feel pressured by a lover he didn't even remember. But Keith had been so close, begging him,  _ wanting _ him, and Lance was weak.

As soon as their mouths met it became insistent. Lances pushed forward, pinning Keith against the wall. His fingers dug into exposed skin and his teeth bit into soft lips, earning a gasping moan in response.

The small part of his brain that was still reasoning was screaming at him that this wasn’t right; that Keith was vulnerable and confused. But then Keith growled, arching his body into Lance, tangling his fingers in Lance’s hair - and all logical thought ground to a halt.

Lance was weak. He would always give Keith anything he ever asked for.

And so Lance gave Keith himself. Gave him everything he was and everything he could be. He tried to wipe clean every horror Keith had endured. Wherever he touched Keith, he burnt away the memories of pain and torture. Each bruise he lovingly made in his desperation to hold Keith, overrode the ones caused by someone else.

And with each bad memory Lance helped him be free of, an older, happier one took it’s place. And eventually, Keith remembered himself, and where he belonged.

Hours later Keith awoke, curled tightly into Lance’s chest, their limbs so tangled it was hard to identify where one ended and the other began. Keith shifted slightly to place a soft kiss on Lance’s cheek, but it was enough to cause the other Paladin to stir from his sleep, eyes cracking open to gaze at him.

“Morning, Bluebird.”

Lance giggled slightly at the old, stupid nickname Keith had given him even before they had realised what they felt for one another.

“You remember.”

“Yeah. Nearly all of it. A few fuzzy bits here and there, especially related to what happened during the mission, but it’ll come back.”

Keith raised his hands to run them through Lance’s hair and trail patterns down his neck.

“Hey, Lance.”

A quiet hum acknowledged him.

“Touch me again. Make the pain go away again.”

“Gladly.”

This time, memories didn’t matter. There was no forgetting or remembering. There was no desperation nor fear that this wasn’t real. This time, they lived for the present and for the future they would have together. Right then, it didn’t matter that this wasn’t the end of it. It didn’t matter that they were still soldiers who were fighting for something much larger than themselves, nor that Lance had sworn vengeance on those that had hurt Keith.

Because in this moment, in each other’s arms, they could take on the universe.


End file.
